AVON PARK, Fla. – May 1, 2026 – South Florida State College (SFSC) celebrates its new graduates with two Commencement ceremonies on Tuesday, May 12 at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts on the SFSC Highlands Campus in Avon Park.
The student Commencement speaker for the 2 p.m. ceremony is Katiana Reyes-Negron, who is graduating from SFSC with her Associate in Arts. The student speaker for the 5:30 p.m. ceremony will be Heather Drommerhausen, who graduates with her Associate in Arts.
Special guest speaker for the 2 p.m. ceremony will be Don Elwell, who is chair of the Highlands County Board of County Commissioners and director of marketing and communications for the Alan Jay Automotive Network. Special guest speaker for the 5:30 p.m. ceremony will be Blaise Ingoglia, chief financial officer and state fire marshal for the State of Florida.
Elwell earned his Associate in Arts from Palm Beach State College and a bachelor’s degree in Accounting at Florida Atlantic University. He had an award-winning career in hotel management, marketing, and accounting in Florida, Las Vegas, and Atlanta before coming home to Highlands County in 2002. He has served as a Highlands County Commissioner for 14 years and has been director of marketing and communications at the Alan Jay Automotive Network since 2008. He has served on boards and committees of the United Way, the Salvation Army, the SFSC Foundation, and many other such organizations. Elwell was honored as Citizen of the Year twice, Volunteer of the Year, Best Master of Ceremonies 15 times, and, statewide, as Florida’s Best Local Elected Official.
As Florida’s chief financial officer and state fire marshal, Ingoglia oversees billions of dollars in taxpayer assets and leading the Florida Department of Financial Services. His role includes managing the state’s finances, rooting out fraud, increasing financial transparency, and supporting first responders across the state. As CFO, Blaise Ingoglia’s top priority is making Florida more affordable, with a focus on lowering property taxes and reducing insurance costs for hardworking families. Prior to becoming CFO, Ingoglia built his reputation by holding government accountable, long before he held public office. Originally from New York, Blaise moved to Spring Hill, Fla., in 1996 with just $1,600 to his name. He soon found success as a mortgage broker and later founded Hartland Homes, a homebuilding company dedicated to helping working families achieve the dream of homeownership.
Approximately 601 students will have met the SFSC requirements by spring Commencement. Of these, 18 will receive their Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management (BAS-SM), seven will receive their Bachelor of Science in Elementary Teacher Education (BSETE), eight will receive their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), 169 will receive their Associate in Arts, 91 will receive their Associate in Science, 18 will receive their State of Florida High School Diploma, 14 will receive their College Credit Certificate (CCC), and 63 will receive Career Certificates. Students participating in the Commencement ceremony will total 388.
Mace bearer and chief marshal for Commencement is Garrett Lee, and marshals are Dolores Breedlove, Marlene Cruz, Kelly Fairfield Dec, Tina Gottus, Courtney Green, Robert Hampton, Candy Jones, Dr. Maday Leon, Michelle Macbeth, Mlisa Manning, Tanna Markel, Sofia Ochoa, Michael Pate, Lena Phelps, and Andrew Polk.
The Commencement rehearsal will be held on Tuesday, May 12 at 9 a.m. at the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts. The ceremony will be live-streamed with access through SFSC’s website at southflorida.edu.
